Home garment steamer

ABSTRACT

A portable garment steamer. The garment steamer is a steamer that allows garments to be steamed at a predetermined pressure and for a specific time automatically. The portable garment steamer is a personal use steamer that can be used in homes and hotels.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/841,301, filed Jun. 29, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The field of the invention is that of devices that hang and enclose garments for garment care purposes, particularly to clean and remove wrinkles by steam.

BACKGROUND

The dry cleaning industry has provided many different variations of steam cleaning machines that remove wrinkles and clean garments. Most of the machines are made for commercial dry cleaning facilities, and not for personal home use.

Attempts have been made to create home steamers that are portable and that eliminate the need of taking clothes to a dry cleaner. Most portable home steamers require a user to manually pass a steam head over a garment that is to be cleaned.

Turner U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,278 discloses a portable garment steamer that applies steam to fixed section of a garment that is hooked on the steamer. The steamer steams the garment by directing steam from the inside of the garment outwardly.

In the steam garment industry it is known that garments of different fabrics require different steam pressure to produce optimal effects of removing wrinkles from garments. By providing the optimal steam pressure to the garment, the garment's fabric is preserved.

Most users of portable hand held garment steamers do not know the optimal pressure required nor the duration of time that a steam head has to be passed over a garment to remove wrinkles from the garment

There is a need for a home garment steamer that will automatically steam a garment at the correct steam pressure and for the correct required time period.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a home garment steamer that will steam a garment at a correct steam pressure and for the correct required time period.

An embodiment of the portable garment steamer of the present invention comprises of a base that supports a vertical structure. The vertical structure has a first and a second end, and a front and a back side. The first end of the vertical structure is secured to the base and the second end defines a channel that runs from the second end toward the first end. The vertical structure defines a support that is attached to the vertical structure. The support has an upper and a lower side and is on the back side of the vertical structure. The support defines a central support aperture (not shown in figures). The garment steamer further has a heating element and a liquid holding tank that are mounted on the base. The liquid holding tank connects to the heating element. The garment steamer has an electrical motor that attaches to the lower side of the support. The garment steamer also has a helical guide. The helical guide attaches to the electrical motor so that the helical guide passes through the central support aperture of the support. The garment steamer also has an oblong steam head that has an inner and an outer side, the inner side defines steam ports, the outer side defines a helical guide attachment. The helical guide attachment mounts on the helical guide and passes through the channel of the vertical structure from the front to the back side of the vertical structure. A hose attaches to the oblong steam head and the heating element. The garment steamer also has a garment support. The garment support attaches to the second end of the vertical structure. The garment steamer also has a cover. The cover mounts on the back side of the vertical structure. The cover defines a control that controls the electrical motor and the heating element. The garment steamer has a power supply that powers the heating element, the electric motor, and the control.

An object of the present invention is to provide a home garment steamer that will clean and remove wrinkles from garments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can automatically steam a garment at a predetermined pressure and for a predetermined time period.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic home garment steamer that will preserve the life of a garment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a home garment steamer that will not require a user to manually pass a steam head over a garment.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a space saving home garment steamer.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the previous description and drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the home garment steamer;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view how the garment support attaches to the support structure of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the backside of the support structure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing how the oblong steam head is mounted on the helical guide;

FIG. 5.a shows a perspective view of a team head assembly that is used in one of the embodiments of the present invention in a open position;

FIG. 5.b shows a perspective view of a steam head assembly of FIG. 5.a in a closed position;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the stem head assembly of FIG. 5.a; and

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the steam head assembly of FIG. 5.a.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a portable garment steamer 100 that is designed in the following manner. The garment steamer 100 comprises of a base 10 that supports a vertical structure 20, The vertical structure 20 has a first 20 a and a second end 20 b, and a front 20 c and a back side 20 d, the first end 20 a is secured to the base 10 and the second end 20 b defines a channel 21 that runs from the second end 20 b toward the first end 20 b. The vertical structure 20 further defines a support 22 that is attached to the vertical structure 22. The support 22 has an upper and a lower side and is on the back side 20 d of the vertical structure 20. The support 22 defines a central support aperture (not shown in figures). The garment steamer 100 further comprises of a heating element 24 and a liquid holding tank 26 that are mounted on the base 10, the liquid holding tank 26 connects to the heating element 24. The garment steamer 100 further has an electrical motor 28 that attaches to the lower side of the support 22. The garment steamer also has a helical guide 30, the helical guide 30 attaches to the electrical motor 28 so that the helical guide 30 passes through the central support aperture of the support 22. The garment steamer 100 further defines an oblong steam head 40 that has an inner 40 a and an outer side 40 b, the inner side 40 a defines steam ports 42, the outer side 40 b of the steam head 40 defines a helical guide attachment 44, The helical guide attachment 44 is mounted on the helical guide 30 and passes through the channel 21 of the vertical structure 20 from the front 20 c to the back side 20 d. A hose 50 attaches to the oblong steam head 40 and the heating element 24. The garment steamer 100 further comprises of garment support 60, The garment support 60 attaches to the second end 20 b of the vertical structure 20, The garment steamer 100 further defines a cover 61. The cover 61 mounts on the back side of the vertical structure 20 d. A control 62, the control 62 is mounted on the cover 61 and controls the electrical motor 28 and the heating element 24. The garment steamer 100 further comprises of a power supply 70 that powers the heating element 24, the electric motor 28, and the control 62.

The present invention uses the helical guide to move the oblong steam head in an upward and downward direction in a steady and controlled speed that is controlled by the control.

The heating element is controlled by the control so that it generates steam at predetermined temperatures that match the garment being steamed.

The support structure's length allows shirts or slacks to be steamed when they are securely placed on the garment support.

The control can be a manual, digital, or wireless control that can be set by the user to apply the correct steam pressure to the garment being steamed. In some embodiments, the control can be a digital control that can be set to control the pressure and time that an item may me steamed when placed in the garment steamer.

The hose is made of a material that allows steam to pass through. It has to be of a caliber that will not collapse on to itself when the helical support guide moves the oblong structure in either an upward or downward direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5 .a -7, in another embodiment of the present invention, the oblong steam head 40 is replaced by a steam head assembly 140. The steam head assembly 140 uses the helical guide attachments 44 to mount to the helical guide 30. And, the steam head assembly 140 attaches to the hose 50. The steam head assembly 140 has an upper 147 and lower side 148, a plurality of steam head assembly holes 141 are defined between the upper 147 and lower side 148 of the steam head assembly 140 and a steam head assembly opening 144, a pair of arms 149 extend from the steam head assembly 140, a steam head assembly rail 145 is mounted on the arms 149, a plurality of pressure heads 142, 143 are mounted on the steam head assembly rail 145, and the arms 149 define a steam head assembly track 146 in which the steam head assembly rail 145 is guided through.

FIG. 5 shows the steam head assembly 140 in and open position ready for a shirt to go through the process. Steam comes out of a plurality of steam head assembly holes 141. There are pressure heads for pressing the torso area 142 and the sleeves 143 into a steam head assembly opening 144 for applying pressure to stretch the shirt. In order for the sleeve and torso pressure heads to apply pressure, they sit on a steam head assembly rail 145 and the steam head assembly rail 145 rides in a steam head assembly track 146. The steam head assembly rail 145 moves in the steam head assembly track 146 so that the pressure heads 142, 143 are in the steam head assembly opening 144.

FIG. 5.b shows the closed position of the steam head assembly 140. Notice the sleeve pressure heads 143 are in a different position to stay in contact with the sleeve as the steam head assembly moves along the shirt. There is an upper steam head assembly side 147 and lower steam head assembly side 148 that work together to create the steam head assembly opening 144. The steam head assembly track 146 exists within a pair of arms 149 that extend outward from the steam head assembly sides 147,148).

FIG. 6 shows a top view of a shirt 150 between the steam heads assembly sides 147,148 and the pressure heads 142,143.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the steam head assembly 140. The steam head assembly contact surfaces 151 work together with the pressure head surfaces 152 such that the shirt 150 has all of its wrinkles stretched out.

The present invention may include software that will allow it t be used as a vending machine in hotels.

As mentioned above, one of the programs of the present invention may allow it to be programmed to steam a garment at a predetermined time and at a predetermined steam pressure.

The present invention may also be used to dry garments in certain situations.

In a commercial embodiment of the present invention, the inventor may have digital adds be published in the control of the device.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a home garment steamer that cleans and removes wrinkles from garments.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a device that automatically steams a garment at a predetermined pressure and for a predetermined time.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an automatic home garment steamer that preserves the life of a garment.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a home garment steamer that does not require a user to manually pass a steam head over a garment.

Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a space saving home garment steamer.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail in reference to preferred versions, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the present invention should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable garment steamer, the garment steamer comprises: a base that supports a vertical structure, the vertical structure has a first and a second end, and a front and a back side, the first end of the vertical structure is secured to the base and the second end defines a channel that runs from the second end toward the first end, the vertical structure defines a support that is attached to the vertical structure, the support has an upper and a lower side and is on the back side of the vertical structure, the support defines a central support aperture; a heating element and a liquid holding tank are mounted on the base, the liquid holding tank connects to the heating element; an electrical motor that attaches to the lower side of the support; a helical guide, the helical guide attaches to the electrical motor so that the helical guide passes through the central support aperture of the support; an oblong steam head that has an inner and an outer side, the inner side defines steam ports, the outer side defines a helical guide attachment, the helical guide attachment mounts on the helical guide and passes through the channel of the vertical structure from the front to the back side of the vertical structure; a hose attaches to the oblong steam head and the heating element; a garment support, the garment support attaches to the second end of the vertical structure; a cover that mounts on the back side of the vertical structure, the cover defines a control that controls the electrical motor and the heating element; and a power supply that powers the heating element, the electric motor, and the control.
 2. The portable garment steamer of claim 1, wherein the control is digital control that can be set to control the pressure and time that an item may me steamed when placed in the garment steamer.
 3. The portable garment steamer of claim 2, wherein the control is wireless.
 4. The portable garment steamer of claim 3, wherein the hose is of a caliber that will not collapse on to itself when the helical support guide moves the oblong structure in either an upward or downward direction.
 5. A portable garment steamer, the garment steamer comprises: a base that supports a vertical structure, the vertical structure has a first and a second end, and a front and a back side, the first end of the vertical structure is secured to the base and the second end defines a channel that runs from the second end toward the first end, the vertical structure defines a support that is attached to the vertical structure, the support has an upper and a lower side and is on the back side of the vertical structure, the support defines a central support aperture; a heating element and a liquid holding tank are mounted on the base, the liquid holding tank connects to the heating element; an electrical motor that attaches to the lower side of the support; a helical guide, the helical guide attaches to the electrical motor so that the helical guide passes through the central support aperture of the support; a steam head assembly, the steam head assembly has an upper and lower side, a plurality of steam head assembly holes are defined between the upper and lower side of the steam head assembly and a steam head assembly opening, a pair of arms extend from the steam head assembly, a steam head assembly rail is mounted on the arms, a plurality of pressure heads are mounted on the steam head assembly rail, and the arms define a steam head assembly track in which the steam head assembly rail is guided through; a hose attaches to the steam head assembly and the heating element; a garment support, the garment support attaches to the second end of the vertical structure; a cover that mounts on the back side of the vertical structure, the cover defines a control that controls the electrical motor and the heating element; and a power supply that powers the heating element, the electric motor, and the control.
 6. The portable garment steamer of claim 5, wherein the control is digital control that can be set to control the pressure and time that an item may me steamed when placed in the garment steamer.
 7. The portable garment steamer of claim 6, wherein the control is wireless.
 8. The portable garment steamer of claim 7, wherein the hose is of a caliber that will not collapse on to itself when the helical support guide moves the oblong structure in either an upward or downward direction. 